1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to methods for processing sounds by electronic devices, and more particularly, to methods for processing sounds by electronic devices that include multiple microphones.
2. Description of the Related Art
Smartphones or other electronic devices come equipped with a diversity of functionality, as well as being able to accept/make calls, and efforts have been made to develop various functions of these electronic devices.
In relation to sound recording and/or video capturing, such as by a camcorder, among various functions of an electronic device, various techniques are being developed to provide a user with desired sound signals that are inputted to the electronic device. For example, diverse pre-processing techniques are under development to eliminate or reduce unnecessary signals from sound signals received at the electronic device.
Generally, a user can take video while holding the electronic device. In this instance, the user's voice signals may be inputted at a higher level than that of other voice signals. For example, referring to FIG. 13, when the user (or a photographer) video-captures an object (or a shooting target) with an electronic device, the microphone of the electronic device is typically positioned relatively closer to the user than the object. Thus, the electronic device may record the user's voice at a higher level than a voice of the object. Accordingly, imbalance in strength of voice may occur between the user and the object.
Further, when attempting to use, e.g., a beamforming algorithm to define a range for receiving sounds, a plurality of microphones for the purpose of receiving sounds oriented in a particular direction from the electronic device, the implementation of such an algorithm may be limited by the limited number of microphones in the electronic device (e.g., not enough microphones). For example, a sufficient number of microphones need to be positioned at a front or rear portion of the electronic device in order to distinguish the user's voice from the object's voice. However, providing a large number of microphones on an electronic device may not be practical in view of the limited amount of mounting space on the electronic device, design considerations, and costs associated with providing the electronic device with a large number of microphones.